Marianne Barnard said she was inspired to tell her story by all the women who have made allegations about Harvey Weinstein and she now hopes the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revokes Polanski's membership.

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By Emma Parry, Digital US correspondent

20th October 2017, 5:38 pm

Updated: 16th December 2017, 9:17 pm

AN ARTIST has accused movie director and convicted child rapist Roman Polanski of taking photos of her naked on a deserted beach wearing an open fur coat before sexually molesting her when she was just 10-years-old.

Speaking for the first time, Marianne Barnard said she was inspired to tell her harrowing story of abuse by actress Rose McGowan and all the other women who had come forward and made allegations about shamed movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Marianne Barnard

Marianne Barnard, pictured here aged 10, says she was sexually abused by Roman Polanski shortly before this photo was taken

She has now launched a petition to have disgraced film director Polanski - who is currently on the run from the US authorities in Europe after raping a 13-year-old girl in the seventies - removed from the board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

And she told Sun Online she hopes by breaking her silence she will encourage more abuse victims to come forward and is taking part in a campaign on social media called #SilenceIsTheEnemy.

Marianne, an artist from Santa Barbara, California, said she was taken to meet Polanski at a beach by her mother in 1975, which is when the molestation took place.

“The beach is south of where a restaurant called Ted’s El Rancho used to be at the bottom of Coastline Drive and Pacific Coast Highway near where I grew up in Malibu,” she said.

“There was a group of rocks there and he took the photographs of me on those rocks.

“At first I had the understanding I was just going to the beach with my mom. We were there for a little while by ourselves and then he was there."

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Roman Polanski was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977

She added: “And she explained that this man wanted to take pictures of me in this fur coat. I thought it was to go into a magazine or something.

“I had on a bikini and I thought that it was a modelling shoot - I had modelled as a child so this wasn’t out of the ordinary for me.

“First he was taking pictures of me in the bikini, then it was with the coat then he said take off the bikini top, which I was comfortable with as I was only 10 and I often ran around with no top on.

“But then he wanted me to take my bikini bottoms off - I started to feel very uncomfortable. Then at some point I realized my mom had gone. I don’t know where she went and I didn’t really register her leaving but she was no longer there. Then he molested me.”

Marianne Barnard

Marianne has suffered PTSD and claustrophobia since the incident

AP:Associated Press

Marianne said she was inspired to finally break her silence by Rose McGowan and other women who have spoken out about Harvey Weinstein

Marianne said the abuse had a huge impact on her life - and she still suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and claustrophobia.

She revealed that while re-living the incident has been incredibly difficult for her - she was inspired by the strength of the legions of women who have spoke of their experiences at the hands of movie mogul Weinstein.

“I felt terribly conflicted that I have been silent all this time and all these women are bravely coming forward and I thought to myself I can’t in good conscious knowing what I know - and having gone through what I’ve gone through - not speak out.

“Even though it puts me in a very bad - even dangerous position - with my mom and Polanski and other people who are involved - I can’t be silent any more.

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Polanski fled the US on the eve of his sentencing for the rape of 13-year-old Samantha Geimer

“How do I know there aren’t other victims? How do I know that he’s not still doing this? And here I am being silent about it.

“I felt like I wasn’t doing the right thing by being quiet and I needed to speak out.

“I want him to be exposed so he cannot carry on this behaviour.

“I hope if there are any other victims out there that they may come out and speak about their experience and hopefully find some healing in that.

“And hopefully he will be finally brought to justice.

“It’s a huge burden to carry knowing that I didn’t come forward earlier - if I did then maybe he wouldn’t have been able to do what he did. But I’ve come forward now.”

Marianne first told her story on Twitter using the hashtag "#ROSEARMY"

Marianne has now made an official report with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division (RHD) sex crimes unit.

And despite the heartache she has faced coming forward - she wants other victims to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“I want people who maybe have never come forward about child sexual abuse to know that there is healing,” Marianne explained.

“You can live an abundant life and you can heal.

“Yes I’ll probably always have post traumatic stress and have claustrophobia be afraid of the dark - there are some things that will never go away - but I have come out the other side of a tremendous amount of darkness and I live a full and healthy life.

“It’s important to speak to a good therapist and I’m also lucky that I have used my artwork as a form of therapy too. Just remember that silence is the enemy.”

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Polanski is still wanted in the US to face five charges relating to the rape of a Samantha Geimer

Polanski was charged with raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer back in 1977.

The sex fiend gave his young victim alcohol and quaaludes before the attack, which took place at the home of actor Jack Nicholson.

Polanski was charged with five crimes - including rape by use of drugs - but took a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to “unlawful sexual intercourse” in return for prosecutors dropping the five charges.

He then fled to Europe the night before his sentencing after hearing that the judge planned to reject the plea deal and jail him.

Over 9,000 people have already signed Marianne's petition

Polanski has lived in exile ever since - moving between France, Poland and Switzerland - and there is still a warrant out for his arrest in the US.

Since then three other women have since come forward to accuse the firm director of sexually assaulting them when they were teenagers.

Brit actress Charlotte Lewis accused Polanksi of “forcing” himself on her when she was 16 in 1982.

And a woman named as Robin M reported to authorities in Los Angeles County that she was sexually assaulted by Polanki in 1973 when she was 16.

PA:Press Association

Harvey Weinstein has already been removed from the Oscars board after over 40 women made allegations of abuse and harassment against him

Earlier this month a German actress Renate Langer, now 61, filed a complaint to Swiss authorities accusing Polanksi of raping her when she was 15.

The US has been trying to extradite Polanski to face his original five charges - while many attempts have been made to dismiss the case.

Shockingly, Weinstein, who has been accused of sexually harassing or abusing over 40 women, came out in defense of Polanski in 2009, claiming: "Whatever you think about the so-called crime, Polanski has served his time.